In recent years, a portable telephone has various functions, including not only a communication function by simple talk, but also an address book function, a mail function via the network such as the Internet, and a browser function of perusing the Web page.
For example, when an incoming call is missed, an icon indicating the missed incoming call, as unconfirmed information, is displayed on a standby screen, the unconfirmed information (e.g., new incoming call) is reported to the user. The user can easily confirm the unconfirmed information by clicking the icon by using an operation key. After the unconfirmed information is confirmed by the user, the icon indicating the missed incoming call displayed on the standby screen is erased.
It is disclosed by, for example JP-A-8-298541, that there is a technique for informing that the incoming call is missed even without a response operation of the user.
With the technique disclosed in JP-A-298541, when the telephone is disconnected with no response to the incoming call, the time information based on the incoming call such as time or time zone when there is the incoming call is stored, whereby the user can know when the incoming call is missed.
On the other hand, in the latest portable phone, a function frequently used by the user can be set as a short-cut, and an icon indicating the function set for the short-cut can be displayed on the standby screen. The user can easily activate the function set for the short-cut by clicking the icon indicating the function set for the short-cut displayed on the standby screen using an operation key.
According to the above-described related art, in the case where the unconfirmed information such as a missed incoming call is reported to the user and a case where the function frequently used by the user is set as the short-cut, the icon (icon indicating the missed incoming call or icon indicating the function set for the short-cut) to be operated by the user must be displayed on the standby screen. When there is an operational contention between these two operations, one of the operations has to be given priority, so that it is more difficult for the user to perform the other operation not given priority.
Of course, when the operation for reporting the unconfirmed information, such as a missed incoming call, to the user is given priority, the icon indicating the missed incoming call displayed on the standby screen is erased after the unconfirmed information is confirmed by the user, whereby the operational contention between these two operations is resolved. However, the user cannot leave the unconfirmed information on the standby screen intentionally to confirm the unconfirmed information later on, and thereafter operate preferentially the icon indicating the function set for the short-cut displayed on the standby screen.